RNC pushes back Trump on ‘cease-and-you’ demand



[ad_1]

Trump’s lawyers have sent letters to a cadre of GOP committees asking them to stop using Trump in fundraising, including the Republican National Senate Committee and the Congressional Republican National Committee. Other groups loosely affiliated with the party have also received notifications.

A spokesperson for the NRCC declined to comment on how the organization planned to respond to the cease and desist letters. An NRSC spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The Dust represents a rare rift between Team Trump and the RNC, who during the 2020 campaign worked together through a joint fundraising vehicle to raise more than $ 366 million. The two sides merged their political and digital operations into one in the run-up to last year’s elections, and their fundraising activities have been closely aligned. Trump and McDaniel speak frequently, and right after the election, he approved her for a third term as party president – a nod that paved the way for her re-election.

But as he plans his plans to get revenge on his alleged Republican enemies in the 2022 midterm election, the former president has begun to exercise greater control over how his name is used to generate funds. for fundraising. Just days before the cease and desist letters were sent out, Trump delivered a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in which he said the “only … way” to financially support Republicans aligned with Trump was through Save America, his political action in the leadership. Committee.

Trump launched the PAC right after the 2020 election, in which he raised tens of millions of dollars. Trump can use the committee to donate to candidates of his choice and to fund other political activities.

Separately, he brought in longtime advisor Corey Lewandowski to lead a super PAC, which will be able to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money. Brad Parscale has returned to Trump’s orbit after being sacked as campaign manager last summer and helping with digital fundraising efforts.

Some senior Republicans say they believed last week’s cease-and-abstain request was driven by advisers surrounding Trump, not the former president himself. And most scoffed at the request, saying they were allowed to use Trump’s name in fundraisers given that he was a public figure.

The RNC has continued to invoke Trump in several fundraising appeals since receiving the cease-and-desist request. He sent two Trump-themed fundraising emails over the weekend, and on Monday he emailed donors asking them to help “defend President Trump’s legacy. “.

In his letter, Riemer writes that Trump and McDaniel “have a close relationship, and we understand President Trump reaffirmed to him over the weekend that he endorses RNC’s current use of his name in fundraising. and other documents, including for our next donor. retreat event in Palm Beach in which we welcome his participation. “

A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump has long been sensitive to people making money with his name. In 2019, Trump’s campaign scolded David Bossie, the former president’s longtime informal adviser, amid allegations he deceptively used Trump’s name to raise funds for an outside group he he supervised.

While the RNC and Trump campaign worked closely together during last year’s campaign, there were sometimes tensions between the two sides. McDaniel and former Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien have long been viewed as rivals, and during the final days of the election communication broke down between the committee and the campaign. While the campaign was skeptical of the data provided by the RNC, committee officials criticized the television commercials the re-election effort aired.

[ad_2]

Source link